Power from 200,000 solar panels

What can 200,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels do?

Easily, that much devices can convert sunlight into 100 megawatt-peak (MWp) of electricity. That is enough to power 43,000 homes.

100 MWp can also charge 41.3 million smartphones, or energize 62,000 electric vehicles.

The same power can run 6,200 escalators and 413,000 LED bulbs twice each year.

Some 200,000 PV panels also provide part of the power needs of 59 SM Supermall properties across the country. The panels are installed of 65 hectares of mall rooftop space, a major sustainability milestone for the 40-year-old mall chain.

The SM Supermall milestone was celebrated recently with a ceremonial switch-on of the 100 MWp solar power system of the SM City North EDSA. The company’s president, Steven Tan and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte led the switch-on last 10 December.

The largest of such solar rooftop is at the SM City North EDSA with 7,680 panels covering 2.07 hectares and generating 4.7 MWp.

That amount of energy can power 4,400 homes and reduces carbon by 640 tons (equivalent to planting 28,968 trees), according to SM Supermalls.

SM City North EDSA, which started with 5,760 solar panels installed on the roof deck of its car park building in 2014, surpassed the previously largest rooftop solar PV system ever installed on a commercial building in the country — right on top of SM City Fairview also in Quezon City. The latter has 6,882 solar panels installed on 4.3 hectares of roof space and generating 3.785 MWp.

Solar energy covers up to 15 percent of the mall’s daily electricity consumption, translating into millions of pesos in savings for the SM Supermalls.

The solarization initiative of the shopping mall chain reinforces SM Supermalls’ mother company SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s leadership in RE, its SM Green Movement and its Net Zero 2040 commitment.

The Movement integrates eco-friendly practices across SM Supermalls’ properties and operations. Aside from energy efficiency, it focuses on water stewardship and waste management through collective action with tenants, partners and shoppers.

Meanwhile, Net Zero 2040 is a pledge of SM Prime to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 through RE expansion, enhanced energy efficiency in buildings, sustainable water management, and green construction.